WECT INVESTIGATES: Former congressman cashes out coffers on community

Mike McIntyre left office in 2015, but just spent the last of his campaign funds this month. (Source: WECT)

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) -

With a more than $5,000 contribution to his daughter-in-law's District Court judge campaign this month, former United States Representative Mike McIntyre spent the final dollars of a once burgeoning campaign war chest built over years in southeastern North Carolina.

McIntyre represented the 7th Congressional District from 1997 to the beginning of 2015. The Democrat retired from public office with $355,226 in the bank. Federal laws allows candidates who are no longer in office to maintain the balance in their campaign committee funds, but restricts how that money can be spent. It can be donated to other campaigns, saved for a future run, used to retire campaign debt or given to charitable organizations.

McIntyre openly considered a run for governor in 2012 before announcing plans to leave office at the end of his ninth term in Congress in 2014. Records show McIntyre overwhelmingly chose the charitable route in spending down his campaign funds over the last three years, with more than a quarter million dollars of that being spent since the beginning of 2017.

The NC Bar Association was the big winner with McIntyre cutting a check for $100,000 to the 501C3 organization in March 2017. The same day, McIntyre donated to the UNC School of Law, the NC Study Center and the Morehead-Cain Foundation.

Other groups receiving checks include the Robeson County History Museum, the Robeson County Humane Society and the UNC Pembroke Foundation.

Earlier this month, McIntyre donated $5,192.83 to the campaign of Angelica Chavis McIntyre, who is an assistant district attorney in Robeson County running for a seat on the bench. A representative for McIntyre filed termination papers for the campaign account days later on April 10.

No Democratic candidate has yet to match McIntyre's monetary power in the 7th Congressional District since he left office. Jonathan Barfield spent more than $60,000 as the 2014 Democratic candidate, and J. Welsey Casteen's spending total didn't eclipse $15,000 in 2016.

Dr. Kyle Horton, a Democrat running for the nomination in the 7th during this year's primary, is the closest so far, raising more than $243,000 in her campaign. Her opponent for the nomination, Grayson Parker, has donated $2,500 to his campaign while taking no contributions to date.

McIntyre is a partner in the law firm of Poyner Spruill, which has offices in Charlotte, Raleigh, Rocky Mount and Southern Pines. He did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

During a stop in Columbus County not far from Fair Bluff — one of the communities hardest hit by the October 2016 storm — Forest was asked about the delay in the state dispersing federal money designed to help Hurricane Matthew victims.

During a stop in Columbus County not far from Fair Bluff — one of the communities hardest hit by the October 2016 storm — Forest was asked about the delay in the state dispersing federal money designed to help Hurricane Matthew victims.

House Speaker Tim Moore has reauthorized a committee to meet regarding funds earmarked to help victims of Hurricane Matthew in areas like Fair Bluff in Columbus County. (Source: WECT)

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) has reauthorized the state House Select Committee on Disaster Relief to address funding earmarked to help the victims of Hurricane Matthew. Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) is a co-chair of the committee and represents Fair Bluff, one of the areas hardest hit by the October 2016 storm.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) has reauthorized the state House Select Committee on Disaster Relief to address funding earmarked to help the victims of Hurricane Matthew. Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) is a co-chair of the committee and represents Fair Bluff, one of the areas hardest hit by the October 2016 storm.

Skip Watkins was in the WECT Digital Studio on Friday to talk about Charlotte hosting the 2020 Republican National Convention. (Source: WECT)

Skip Watkins was in the WECT Digital Studio on Friday to talk about Charlotte hosting the 2020 Republican National Convention. (Source: WECT)

Hours after the Republican National Committee unanimously voted to make Charlotte the host city for the 2020 Republican National Convention, New Hanover County Commissioner Skip Watkins said he was happy to hear the news.

Hours after the Republican National Committee unanimously voted to make Charlotte the host city for the 2020 Republican National Convention, New Hanover County Commissioner Skip Watkins said he was happy to hear the news.

The filing period has ended for judicial candidates across North Carolina.

Nearly all Superior and District Court Judges from counties in southeastern North Carolina are running for re-election in 2018. The filing period for judicial offices ended Friday at Noon, with only one current member of the local bench not on the ballot for the November General Election.

Nearly all Superior and District Court Judges from counties in southeastern North Carolina are running for re-election in 2018. The filing period for judicial offices ended Friday at Noon, with only one current member of the local bench not on the ballot for the November General Election.